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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229884">Connected by Sound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lessiehanamoray/pseuds/lessiehanamoray'>lessiehanamoray</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 3, Persona 5, Persona Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Past Relationship(s), Soft Goro Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:42:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lessiehanamoray/pseuds/lessiehanamoray</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A newcomer at the orphanage ruffles Goro Akechi's feathers more than a little, but the calm presence of Minato Arisato proves a calming balm. Two kids all alone in the world discovering just how important the little things can be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Day 1 - Jazz and Music, Quality Persona Fics</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Connected by Sound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goro Akechi hated the sound of other children playing. He hated the way they laughed. The grunts when they kicked a ball particularly hard. The way they never asked him if he wanted to play. The way that when he did join they ignored or bullied him.</p>
<p>Naturally, he’d given up playing with others. Books were safer anyway. On this particularly pleasant spring day, he pored over an old copy of Robin Hood he'd found in a Book-Off. Written in English, this particular reading task required a dictionary and intense concentration.</p>
<p>He remembered watching Robin Hood movies with his mother. Quiet nights spent enjoying each other’s presence. He wanted to remember those nights. Otherwise, all he really had to remember her by was the suicide note she'd slipped into his bag that fateful evening.</p>
<p>Goro shook his head, desperate to clear it. He didn't like thinking about his mother. Not, like that. He'd rather remember watching movies. Or her voice when she told him stories. The way she’d quietly hum a lullaby while sealing envelopes.</p>
<p>A shadow fell over him. Goro looked up to see a kid he only vaguely recognized. A high school student, about six years older than him, loomed over him. Well, sort of loomed. The other boy stood somewhat hunched, hands stuffed in his pockets like he was scared what might happen if they got loose.He practically crouched. His whole posture engineered to make him look small.</p>
<p>His bluish black hair hung over one of his eyes, leaving Goro to wonder how the older boy functioned without depth perception.</p>
<p>Without a word the other boy, a new arrival at this orphanage, sat just a meter or two away. They leaned against the same wall, stared at the same scraggly tree.</p>
<p>Goro Akechi did not appreciate this invader in his sanctuary.</p>
<p>"Minato Arisato, right?"</p>
<p>The other boy glanced over to him, sliding headphones off his ears. Goro could hear a heavy beat escape Arisato’s clip-on headphones.</p>
<p>They looked nice, a high quality Goro couldn’t possibly afford.</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>Goro attempted to puff out his chest. He needed to look as big as possible. "I'm Goro Akechi."</p>
<p>"Hmm," Arisato nodded slowly. He moved to slip back on the headphones.</p>
<p>"Why aren't you with the other high school students?"</p>
<p>Arisato shrugged. He placed the headphones back on then, leaving the clip loose. The soft tingling of music still escaped.</p>
<p>Goro pursed his lips, angrily diving back into his book. It wasn’t like he could actually beat up a high schooler anyway.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, reading English was hard enough without worrying when an older kid would decide to pounce. He couldn’t concentrate like this. The older children always picked on the younger ones. It was the only way to control anything. None of them had any control over their own lives, so they naturally took solace in trying to control others.</p>
<p>Goro glanced back over to Arisato. The music no longer escaped his headphones, clips securely attached to his ears. He leaned against the wall, eyes closed, hands slipping free of their cloth prisons.</p>
<p>Minato Arisato looked content. Not happy. Not sad. Just...content.</p>
<p>Goro couldn't remember the last time he'd felt like that. Sure, he hadn't even been here a full year yet, but... he always tried to stay alert. Didn't this kid know what an angry adult could do to him? What could happen if he didn't move fast enough? If he was late to dinner? If a larger kid wanted that spot? Or if they kicked the soccer ball to take advantage of the still target?</p>
<p>Arisato cracked open an eye. "Staring," he yawned.</p>
<p>"Sorry!" Goro slammed his head back into his book, almost literally.</p>
<p>Arisato removed one of his earpieces. "What you reading?"</p>
<p>"Uh..." No one had asked him that since his mom had died. "Robin Hood." Goro nervously held up the book, displaying the English title and writer name.</p>
<p>"English?"</p>
<p>Goro nodded, not really registering just how thoroughly the book covered his face.</p>
<p>Finally realizing the teen couldn’t see his face, Goro explained, "I...We can't watch movies here, so I'm trying to read it."</p>
<p>"Lot o’ work."</p>
<p>Goro slowly lowered the book, allowing Arisato to actually see his nod this time. "I found a cheap dictionary too."</p>
<p>"Book-off?"</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>Arisato held up a cylindrical music player, "I shop there too."</p>
<p>"What kind of music do you like?" And why did you engage me? Goro figured he couldn't have possibly been staring that badly.</p>
<p>Arisato shrugged again. "Wanna listen?" He slipped off his other earpiece and held it out for Goro to take.</p>
<p>Goro clutched his book. "You sure?"</p>
<p>Arisato didn't respond. He just kept holding out the earpiece.</p>
<p>Still unsure, Goro stood. He cautiously moved the couple of steps it took to reach Arisato. </p>
<p>This had to be a trap. How couldn’t it be?</p>
<p>Goro clutched his book tightly against his chest. A ploy to take away something he cared about, perhaps? Wouldn’t be the first time. </p>
<p>Arisato’s lips curled slightly. It was a tiny change. Miniscule really. Only noticeable by the subtle movement. You’d never realize he was smiling if you hadn’t watched it form.</p>
<p>“I don’t bite.””</p>
<p>Goro sat down next to him. Arisato gently dropped the earpiece into Goro’s lap. Keeping a firm grip on his book with his left, Goro carefully lifted the offered earpiece and set it in place.</p>
<p>He wasn’t ready for the string of English lyrics that followed:</p>
<p>
  <em> Fear’s awake, anger beats loud, face reality </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Never beat charity </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The enemy you’re fighting covers all society </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> (Damn right) </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Mommy’s not here, gotta fight </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> (All night) </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He recognized some of the words, but it was so fast he couldn’t possibly follow it all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Right here, Shadow 10 o’clock direction </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Seize the moment, destroy the nation </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Your rhyme is slow motion, give me motivation </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Freaked out now, and dead on arrival </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> (What?) </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>How could Arisato relax to something so intense?</p>
<p>“Excuse me, Mr. Arisato?”</p>
<p>The teen already had his eyes closed again. “Hmm?”</p>
<p>“What’s it saying?”</p>
<p>“The lyrics?”</p>
<p>Goro nodded. “It’s too fast.”</p>
<p>“Do they matter?” Arisato sounded genuinely confused, his soft voice barely audible.</p>
<p>“Yes. I want to know what it’s about.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Why? What was wrong with this guy? Why wouldn’t you want to know?</p>
<p>“Don’t you know?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Arisato yawned again. “Because I listen to it a lot.”</p>
<p>“So what’s it say?”</p>
<p>“Just listen.” Arisato tilted his head to better look at Goro. “Music’s great that way.”</p>
<p>“Great what way?”</p>
<p>“It hits you, even when you don’t know what it says.” He let out a content sigh. “Comprehensible emotion.”</p>
<p>“Comprehensible emotion?”</p>
<p>Arisato yawned again. Goro continued listening to his music in one ear.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>A Month Later</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re already leaving?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” </p>
<p>Goro pouted. Arisato never understood. His calm demeanor attracted Goro to him, but also made him really hard to talk to sometimes.</p>
<p>“It’s only been a month.”</p>
<p>“Gekkoukan High starts soon.”</p>
<p>“Why do you have to go so far away?”</p>
<p>Arisato sighed. “It’s where I was born.”</p>
<p>Goro looked up at him.</p>
<p>“And where my parents died. My family hates the idea, but full scholarship.”</p>
<p>“Why would they hate it?”</p>
<p>Arisato shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”</p>
<p>“And you want to go back. Why?”</p>
<p>He once more shrugged. “Done running, I guess.”</p>
<p>Goro leaned against the wall. Anymore they always sat next to one another. Arisato shared his headphones, and helped Goro when he had an English question. Sometimes they even worked out the meaning together.</p>
<p>He wasn’t what any of the other kids would have called a good friend, but he was all Goro Akechi had. And Goro was all Minato Arisato had too. Arisato didn’t mention his family much, but the fact he’d come here said enough.</p>
<p>They didn’t want him.</p>
<p>So why was he leaving now that Goro wanted him?</p>
<p>“Goro.”</p>
<p>Arisato’s voice always cut through his thoughts. Even during meals, when Arisato said something, the entire cafeteria suddenly felt quieter. As though those soft-spoken words silenced the very world around them.</p>
<p>How strange for a boy with a song always playing in his mind.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Arisato pulled something out from behind his jacket. A CD? He pressed it towards Goro.</p>
<p>Goro carefully took it in his hands. The title was written in English, but he’d seen it so often he knew it immediately.</p>
<p>“The Many Adventures of Robin Hood?”</p>
<p>Arisato nodded.</p>
<p>Goro turned the case around in his hands, still unsure. A sticky spot indicated a recently removed price tag.</p>
<p>“An audiobook?”</p>
<p>Arisato nodded once more. </p>
<p>“Why would you get this for me?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter.”</p>
<p>As was so often the case with Minato Arisato, Goro Akechi recognized the truth of that phrase. To Goro, every decision mattered. To Arisato, every decision was just the one you had made. He didn’t need deep reflection or further reason. For whatever reason, he had wanted to give Goro a farewell gift, and so he had. Simple really.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Goro took a deep breath. “You’ll send me a letter when you get there, right? So I can write back?” He sighed. “Sorry I don’t have email.”</p>
<p>“I’ll write.”</p>
<p>“You promise?”</p>
<p>Arisato nodded.</p>
<p>“And I can visit?”</p>
<p>“Who knows?”</p>
<p>Goro glared at his companion. </p>
<p>“I guess if it’s okay with the dorm.”</p>
<p>Eh. He’d take it. From Minato Arisato that was as close to a sworn oath as you were gonna get.</p>
<p>“Sorry I don’t have anything for you.”</p>
<p>“It’s all good.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s not.” Goro hated the idea of owing a debt, even if it was for a gift.</p>
<p>“Goro.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>That tiny smile again, the one you’d never notice on any normal person’s face. “I leave in an hour.” Arisato held out one of his earpieces. “You can give me that.”</p>
<p>Goro slid closer to his companion and took the offered headphone. A smoother sound than usual played, and in Japanese.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Stay high, if you notice it </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Hey, there’s a dazzling blue sky on the window </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Surely, tomorrow’s door </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Still green, will open </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Someday, if the passage of time changes everything </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> I will never lose it </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> It’s “you” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> I’ll lead the Brand New Days </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the first time in their month together, Goro Akechi leaned against MInato Arisato. Nothing guaranteed they’d see each other again. Nothing promised their paths would cross once more. Even if they wrote to each other, both of them could suddenly get moved with no warning.</p>
<p>But right now, right now, this moment was all he had. All either of them had, and it was their moment. He wasn’t going to waste it.</p>
<p>And so, he forced himself to relax. Forced himself to close his eyes and listen to the music. Forced himself to trust the world around him just long enough to bask in the company of a kindred spirit. </p>
<p>The chords of the headphones and the CD in his hand, the sound of unfamiliar words and new rhythms, these things connected them. Whatever else happened, the music and knowledge from this short interlude would stay with him forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am incapable of straight fluff. Just...incapable. I'm trying, but I tend to end up in the hurt/comfort range. Anyway, I like to imagine these two meeting a lot. A little bond somewhere back there that has always mattered, but never got a chance to blossom.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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